Smoke
by JuliTina
Summary: When Sephiroth and Zack accidentally stumble onto Cloud Strife's recruit profile, they never even imagined all the trouble it could lead them to.
1. Chapter 1

The sun was shining merrily, the blue expanse of sky stretching across the horizon in a never ending arc. Fluffy birds were chirping, and everything shone gold and bright from the sunlight.

Bah.

It was rather unnecessary to say that Sephiroth hated sunny days. And to make matters worse, it was _hot_. With long hair like his, it was very hard to keep cool and collected - especially when you had a partner like Zack. It took a great deal of concentration and patience when dealing with the moron, something which Sephiroth severely lacked when days decided to be as difficult as this. And hot.

"I'm bored."

Irritated, Sephiroth tried to ignore the whining from behind him. Zack, who had propped his feet up on his desk, was fully capable of acting like a mature adult. The only problem was: he didn't want to.

"Please Seph, let's do something fun..." His whine trailed off as Sephiroth gave him a withering glare.

"No." Zack's idea of fun was slightly skewed; usually involving long hours of sardonic humour and embarrassing situations. Sephiroth was fully aware of this fact, and he absolutely refused to do anything that might make matters worse. He sighed, not knowing why he'd decided to let Zack into his office in the first place.

"Please..." An eyebrow twitched. It made it all worse because somehow, this was his fault. Perhaps he should just kill the pest and be done with it. Before he could entertain himself with the appealing thought, Zack literally 'flopped' himself over Sephiroth. In some way, Zack's feet were still propped up on the desk, body leaning haphazardly sideways to encircle his arms around Sephiroth. Zack's black spikes tickled his ear, and Sephiroth winced. This was _low_. Even for Zack.

Physical contact? What about personal space?

"We could always try that-"

"-No."

"Oh stop it; you look like you want to kill someone."

"I do. Guess who?"

Zack glared down at the floor at a loss. Distracting himself with Sephiroth was only a good idea if you were either suicidal, or Sephiroth was in a complacent mood. And everyone in Shinra knew that Sephiroth was anything but complacent on hot, sunny, bright and cheerful days.

"Fine, I'll leave you alone then."

"Thankyou."

"Piss off."

"You're welcome."

"...I hate you." It didn't sound like sulking. Really.

They continued in blessed silence until Zack began to tap his fingers on Sephiroth's shoulder erratically. Irked, Sephiroth tried to ignore the body pressed against his side. It annoyed him to know that Zack knew almost everything there was to _know_. He wouldn't have even cared if Zack had been tapping steadily; monotonous was his middle name.

Tap. Tap.

Taptap.

A quick glance in Zack's direction. A faint smile back.

Sephiroth decided to suggest something.

"Why don't you go browse through the recruit files? You've always liked to know the latest news."

"You know, that actually sounds like fun."

Mentally groaning, Sephiroth decided to keep silent as Zack dragged both the wheelie chair and him to the computer. Yes, there were days where he could act like a bastard, but there were also days where he was with Zack, and hot weather. He decided to try and think about the lovely ice that surrounded the northern peaks of Terra. But that didn't help as he was reminded about the idiot that had managed to overuse his Ice Materia. His name, coincidentally enough, began with a 'Z'.

"Seph, can I borrow your key card password? Shinra isn't accepting mine anymore."

"And I wonder why." Sephiroth certainly sounded sardonic enough. Zack's latest scheme had involved uploading viruses to every Shinra database.

"They deserved it." No more was said on the matter.

Rolling his eyes (though it looked more like a twitch), Sephiroth handed Zack the key card, and he swiped it into the computer's hard disk. Quickly tapping in identification numbers, his face broke into a wild grin as the computer started uploading numerous recruit files. Quickly browsing through them, Zack started to randomly select names he liked the look of. They were usually original names, or meaningful ones.

"Hey look, there a kid called Strife in here." Zack chuckled softly, wondering if name was any indication of personality.

"Open it up then."

Clicking few times, a window popped up on the screen, displaying Strife's stats.

_Name: Cloud Strife,  
__Age: 15_  
_Weight: 45kg_  
_Height: 5'3"_

"Does he even eat at all?" Zack mused, scrolling down.

"He's...small for a recruit."

"What do you mean small? He's puny!" Zack scrolled down even further to a picture of the kid. Wild blond spikes that flew everywhere, stunning blue eyes that stood out from his pale face. "Heh, he's even got Chocobo hair to match the eyes."

"I don't see it." Sephiroth deadpanned. "His hair is the same as yours. Messy, and it doesn't conform to regulations."

"And yours does?" Zack muttered. "Besides, he looks...sweet, I suppose, almost docile."

Sephiroth, who had been reading further, raised an eyebrow.

"I think the word you're looking for is 'soft'. As far as I'm concerned, he shouldn't even be here as a recruit." Sephiroth gestured towards the report on screen, turning his attention back onto thoughts of ice, and cool weather.

"Agility: below average, Strength: poor, Tactics: below average, Weapons: abysmal." Zack listed, trailing off as the list of dreadful marks carried on down the page. The only positive comment consisted of four words, and merely a compliment by a long stretch.

_Stubborn as a mule._ Which was followed by: _Will not quit._

"Sounds like you."

"There's no need to be nasty."

"I beg to differ. If you're able to change from a lazy delinquent into a SOLDIER, then anything's possible."

Zack scrolled down further, eyeing the words '_total failure_'.

"Why don't Shinra just get rid of him?"

Sephiroth frowned at the oddly shrewd question and replied. "A normal cadet would have been thrown out already, so maybe he's a rich brat."

Zack looked at the photo again, seeing the boy's placid gaze float through him, perhaps staring into space. Chocobo hair was an utter weakling, but Zack had to wonder _how_ on Earth the boy had passed the entrance exams. Strife was short, thin and weak; at a severe disadvantage to the other stronger boys.

How? How had he done it?

"I don't think that's the case with Strife here." Zack stared into the screen.

Sephiroth looked dubious.

"He just looks like a spoilt brat to me, a wannabe in many aspects."

"Yeah, but ambition has to start somewhere. This one's special. It's a gut feeling." Zack's face suddenly melted into a big, shit-eating grin. "Plus, he's pretty. Extremely pretty."

Sephiroth sighed again, realising how rare it was for Zack to be so serious, and missing it already. He'd leave the whole thing for tomorrow, when he wouldn't be so tired or so distracted. And hopefully, it wouldn't be so dammed hot.

tbc

edited 27/10/06


	2. Chapter 2

It had been a year since he had stumbled onto Strife's profile, and, after much thinking and arguing with Sephiroth, he had signed onto the training program for SOLDIER recruits. The program was designed so that SOLDIERS like Zack were allowed to train three pupils that he thought had potential. The program lasted for one to two years, allowing the recruits to take one exam at seventeen or one at eighteen. However, it was rather unusual for first class SOLDIERS to take part, especially since Shinra preferred to keep their elite separated.

SOLDIER first class was in a league of its own and they did not want (or need) attachments. That was how Sephiroth had phrased it, cold and severe, his argument being that Zack did not need any more attention drawn to him, _especially_ after the whole virus scandal. A year had passed and Shinra was still nursing old wounds, using every excuse they could to demote Zack to second class.

Sometimes, Zack was grateful that he had Sephiroth as a friend.

And, quite frankly, sometimes it sucked.

"Your obsession with him is unsettling," Sephiroth had remarked.

Zack was affronted.

"It's not an obsession," he argued. "I just happen to find him interesting. He isn't my only student – there are two _other _boys, you know."

"That is precisely why I am worried," Sephiroth replied, a placating voice of reason. "Favouritism doesn't sit well with many recruits: there will be problems."

Zack just shrugged, a non-committing and vague gesture that looked like a lot but actually meant nothing. He frowned.

"You haven't even seen him yet."

"Generally, respect should be earned," Sephiroth replied. "And as far as I'm concerned, he hasn't done anything yet."

………………………

"Moron." Zack thought, both hands clasped loosely around his head. He understood Sephiroth's reasoning (and maybe he slightly agreed with him) but he had never been the type of person that would just sit there and listen. Of all people, he had thought that Sephiroth would have realised that already. Besides, he liked the look of Strife, and a tiny part of him thought he could see himself in the boy.

It was a sense of kinship, perhaps. But he knew he wanted to meet Strife and as a SOLDIER, he had every chance to do so. There was a similarity between them that he just couldn't ignore. Sephiroth had said it was because both of them had appalling exam results, but it was more than that. He was sure of it.

He paused outside the door to gym 63, rubbing his hands together.

"Time to collect the troops." He muttered, and he then smirked as an afterthought.

Pushing open the door, he was greeted with a grating voice, grilling each recruit relentlessly as they struggled through their push-ups. Zack looked on with distaste. He hated low-level instructors. Most of them were men that had been rejected from the SOLDIER program, due to character or mental faults. They were just a group of seething psychos and so, naturally, Sephiroth thought them suitable to train only the youngest of recruits.

Nearby, a blonde head collapsed onto the floor, thin arms giving out under the strain.

"Strife, I should have known you'd be the one to give up first," the man spat disgustedly, bending down and grabbing the boy's collar with one hand.

"Ooh," Zack thought. "Found one."

He saw Strife shoot a glare of pure poison at the instructor (quite impressive really, considering the position he was in) and Zack coughed loudly before things could get ugly. This man was notorious for his temper, but he was kept for his experience and training methods. As long as he still produced a few SOLDIERS every year, Shinra was able to turn a blind eye to everything else.

"Ah. Knightblade."

"Peterson," Zack acknowledged.

The instructor tossed Strife to the side, letting the boy drop to the floor in a heap. He seemed to relish it, and Zack raised an eyebrow at how heavily Cloud seemed to be breathing. How tired and worn he looked.

"Stand in single file," Peterson barked. The class scurried to obey in time. He then waved a hand in Zack's face, deliberately insulting and said, "He's here to announce who has made it into the training program."

Zack's hands tightened into fists, and he stuffed them into his pockets, eyes crinkling up into a strained grin.

"Yo," He paused, looking around at the hopeful faces in front of him. Some were confident, some were rather weary and some were a mixture of both. "As you may already be aware, I will be training three students that I feel have displayed the most potential."

Excited mutters arose from the crowd, a few recruits looking especially smug. Zack would have liked to use the word confident, but really, it was anything but.

"Adam Collins," Zack stated, scuffing his foot on the floor, regretting Sephiroth's choice already. A smug brunette stepped out; face twisted into a smirk. He was tall and strong, disdain shown clearly in his dark eyes. Behind him, Peterson nodded.

"Mark Ryder." Another brown haired recruit slouched forward, a sharp pale face contrasting deeply with Shinra's standard black uniform.

"And finally, Cloud Strife."

He tried not to smirk as some mouths fell open, and eyes that began to dart wildly around the room. He looked on with amusement as Strife stared at his peers, only stepping out from the crowd when he saw the looks of horror on their faces. Meanwhile, Zack pretended he didn't notice the looks of loathing that the blonde received.

"If you start favouring him, you'll isolate him." Sephiroth's voice rang through his head. But as Strife made his way over to Zack, step by step, he found that he didn't care. There was _hope_ in the blue eyes, and although it was muted, it was still there.

To Zack's interest, Strife had grown slightly taller, but he was still nowhere near Zack's height. His face radiated bored indifference (despite the light in his eyes) and his frame had thinned into gangly limbs and bones. As he stood there, Strife relaxed into a slouch, finally hunching his shoulders; hiding his face from envious onlookers.

"Just wait a minu-" Peterson began, only to be interrupted by Zack.

"If you have any concerns, kindly address them to the General."

The instructor automatically recoiled, backing down from the challenge. Having silenced Peterson once and for all, Zack showed surprising restraint as he walked out of the room quietly with three boys in tow.

It was only when he exited the room that he allowed himself a small smirk.

………………………

Zack led them to Gym 55, exclusive to SOLDIERS. Sparring mats lay on the floor, circled by a rack of weapons, punching bags, weights and an assortment of training tools that Zack couldn't wait to get the boys started on.

"Let the games commence," he cackled mentally.

"I will be training you in two different areas; your physical body, and your mind. These areas will then be divided into subsections like weapons, tactics and so forth. If you should fall behind, you will be required to attend one-on-one sessions with me." Zack smiled, eyes crinkling up disarmingly. "You do not want that."

The boys fidgeted, eyeing him and the training room, looking ready to bolt. Zack felt no sympathy, and he pointed to the rack of weapons, shaking his dark mane slightly.

"Pick one of those weapons, any of them, and it will be yours to learn, to clean and to keep."

The three rushed over, Adam shoving Cloud out of the way with a well-placed elbow in the ribs.

Zack frowned.

­Adam instantly chose a long, curved blade, testing how sharp it was with the edge with his thumb. Mark found a hefty staff, and Zack was interested to see Cloud staring at an imitation of the Buster sword. _That_ was interesting in itself – Zack couldn't wait to test the three boys against each other.

"So," Zack began, looping an arm around Cloud's shoulders. "Do you like the Buster?"

"...Yeah," Cloud exhaled softly.

"So why don't you get it down?"

Cloud paused, looking down at his feet. It looked like a sign of meekness. From personal experience, Zack knew it was a look of realism.

"I won't be able to lift it."

Zack looked at the gangly boy in front of him. Taking the Buster sword off the rack with one hand, he span the sword over his shoulder once, blade whistling through the air. Cloud's eyes grew wide, perhaps with longing, and Zack thrust the sword at Cloud, letting it drop onto him.

Cloud caught the sword automatically, but he fell over as the weight of the sword dug into his thighs.

Zack raised an eyebrow. The kid had quick reflexes; he'd give him that.

"You have to work on your strength."

Cloud's brow creased in irritation. It was an obvious statement, but it still grated. Not the slightest bit disheartened, Zack waved him to the weights on the right, dismissing him for the time being. He turned his attention to Mark and Adam, the latter eyeing Cloud with poorly concealed amusement.

"What are you grinning at? Show me what you can do."

The boys – still carrying their weapons – charged towards Zack, lowering the tips of the staff and sword as they ran. Zack rolled his eyes and jumped, spinning around in a Lotus kick. The boys fell to the floor, groaning as they nursed their heads; Adam had dropped his sabre already.

Zack grinned, a manic gleam coming to his eyes.

"Lesson one: never lower your weapons."

………………………

Cloud grunted as he tried to lift the weights one more time, a mixture of blonde hair and sweat dripping into his vision. He had barely managed to lift them so far, and his arms were shaking and aching at the prolonged effort. He could hear Collins and Ryder grunting away as they blocked, countered, and then attacked in the same rhythm over and over again. Distantly, he could recall his father telling him that repetition only ingrained mistakes, and rhythm induced sloppiness. Looking at the two, he figured it to be true.

Suddenly, something blocked his vision, jolting Cloud out of his reverie. He blinked slowly, and saw Zack grinning at him.

"What do you want?" he snapped, annoyed at being caught off guard. It was left unsaid, but it stung slightly to not be able to lift a weapon that Zack could handle with one hand.

"I want to know how you're doing with the weights."

"Badly."

Zack laughed and Cloud found the sound not too unpleasant, until he clapped him on the back, the force dislodging him from his seat on the workbench. Not the slightest bit remorseful, Zack helped Cloud up by hauling him upright by his shirt collar. Half choked by the process, Cloud rubbed his throat indignantly, scowling at the grinning face.

"I don't need your pity," he stated, rubbing his sweaty forehead with the back of his hand. "I am nowhere near the strongest in my class."

"Who wants to be strongest?" Zack scoffed. "I _said_ I was looking for potential."

Tapping Cloud on the head, he used the momentary distraction to add two more sections onto the weights, dropping them onto him.

"Let's get started on the weights, shall we?"

………………………

"It must have been _hours_," Cloud groaned to himself. His body was too tired to even shake, and his feet felt like leaden weights. His _hair_ was even drooping; no mean feat for something that fought gravity no matter what the circumstance. Collins and Ryder had left to nurse their bruises and egos a long time ago, leaving him alone with Zack. And completely defenceless.

Even his scowl had abandoned him.

"There's more?" he asked weakly, almost dreading the answer.

Zack chuckled.

"No, there's no more."

"...Good."

And Cloud fell over, knees buckling and falling forward into Zack's arms.

Through the sweat soaked cotton fabric Zack could feel every ridge of Cloud's ribs and every knob of his spine. The spiky blonde hair tickled Zack's face and Cloud lay limply there in his arms. If he hadn't been otherwise preoccupied, Zack would have thought it strange. Just _how _thin was he?

Besides, he didn't know where Cloud's barracks _were_.

Reason told him that he could simply ask one of Cloud's peers, or even one of the techies that was in charge of the trainee records. Reason told him that he should have left Cloud alone. Reason said he should have just walked away.

...But where was the fun in that?

tbc

Edited: 02/02/07


	3. Chapter 3

When Cloud regained consciousness, he could feel something brushing against his neck, an irritating _something_ ghosting past at sporadic intervals. He moaned, rubbing absently at his neck whilst he turned over to face the other way. It was only when a wet _it_ licked up his throat that Cloud jerked up, swear words slipping out of his mouth in shock.

"What was _that_?"

Still slightly drowsy, his words were slurred and his vision blurred before it sharpened into focus. Zack sat on his bed, laughing his face off as Cloud tried to regain some semblance of dignity, though failing miserably. Regaining his composure, he stuck his tongue out in answer to Cloud's question.

"You _licked_ me?"

Another question.

"Yeth."

Cloud narrowed his eyes, as Zack grinned insultingly.

"You licked me."

This time, a statement of fact.

Zack could see the murderous intent behind the blue eyes, and he wisely stopped grinning, putting his tongue back to where it belonged. Cloud blinked and turned around to look at his surroundings, realising that he wasn't in his barracks with the other five boys he detested.

"Where are we?"

"Curious are we?"

"Just answer the question."

For such a tiny little figure, he sure had a dead-on glare.

"But what if I don't want t-" Zack felt his skin burn. He decided not to test his luck. "Yeah, yeah, you're in my room, SOLDIER barracks."

Clouds' eyes widened fractionally, and Zack would not have caught it if his vision hadn't been enhanced by Mako. The expression made Cloud look younger and more like the sweet kid Zack had envisioned before meeting him. But the eyes narrowed again, one eyeing Zack suspiciously.

"Then I'll be going now."

"Why don't you stay?" Zack noticed the defensive posture, and typically regardless, he ignored it. As far as he was concerned, personal space didn't exist, and he slung his arm around Cloud's shoulders. Hey, he'd already _licked_ the kid (which was entirely self-gratifying and too tempting to resist) there wasn't much else he _could_ do.

"I wouldn't want to be any trouble." The sudden shift from aggression to subtle politeness was not lost on Zack. He'd give him points for trying, though.

"Do you envision yourself being trouble?" A wicked grin flickered at the edge of Zack's lips, and judging from Cloud's reaction, he guessed that Strife hadn't missed the point.

_Behave,_ Zack thought with a grin.

Defeated, Cloud scanned the room wearily. He didn't feel threatened by Zack, but he wasn't entirely comfortable either, and so he diverted his attention to the room. The walls were white and pristine, with a simple blue border circling the ceiling. There was one bed with a steel frame (the one that he currently occupied) shunted to the side of the room, and a simple wardrobe and table, both made out of metal. An open doorway revealed a kitchen, and next to that, a bathroom could be seen. SOLDIERS were given entire apartments, and Zack seemed to be quite comfortable.

It was a lot better than recruits' barracks, that was for sure. Communal showers, shared dormitories and meals in the mess hall. Yeah, being trainees completely sucked – they didn't even have proper beds to speak of. Grimacing slightly, Cloud stretched and yawned, his training uniform crinkling upwards as he nursed his stiff muscles and wrinkled his nose.

"I reek of sweat, and it hurts." He stated, the last part added on almost like an afterthought.

Zack – who had been distracted by Cloud's rising shirt – coughed, and then smirked.

"There's nothing like a good workout to get your muscles going." He poked Cloud in the ribs, and settled for a wry grin as icy eyes turned onto him.

"Don't touch me."

"No."

The glare was turned up a notch, and Zack briefly wondered if the kid had been taking lessons from Sephiroth.

"Nice pout, kid."

Cloud's expression turned from angry to insulted in a heartbeat, and instantly, a pillow was thrown into Zack's face. And then another as Zack had dodged the first one. So the kid had a quick temper _and _good aim.

"Okay, okay," Zack said, scratching his head. "Lay off the pillows."

"Only if you stop acting like a like an idiot." The sentence was then cut off abruptly, leaving the room silent. Judging by the panicked look in the Cloud's eyes, the comment had slipped out involuntarily.

Nevertheless, Zack was still hit by the similarity between the boy and Sephiroth. There were many Sephiroth imitators and look-alikes in Shinra, but there was something _natural_ about the way Cloud expressed himself, similarities that Zack recognised instantly.

"What?" Cloud asked, eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Do I have something on my face?"

Definitely Sephiroth. Even the sarcasm was there.

"You know, you shouldn't be mouthing off to your superiors this early," Zack remarked, lips quirking up into a teasing smile. "I might just be insulted."

But despite his teasing tone, it seemed to make Cloud falter, and his expression carefully faded into blank neutrality.

_Your superiors know better, I know better. Never disrespect me again._

"I need to get back to my barracks, sir."

Mentally, Zack cursed himself for mentioning rank. He had seen those blue eyes falter, physically shuttering in and cutting himself off from the world. He wanted to _know_ Cloud, not to bury him under the hypocritical Shinra bull that he had spent most of his time fighting against. Sighing, he nodded.

"Yeah, go ahead."

…

Thankfully, the trip back to his dorms was uneventful. There was always the odd bully who lurked around the corridors, and Cloud was glad to have missed them.

Grabbing a standard towel off the shower room shelf, he quickly stripped down and stood under the faucet, waiting for the spray to switch on. Everything in Midgar was Mako-powered, and the artificial lights often made his head hurt. His father assured him it was just a side effect of the radiation, but had prescribed him some pills anyway.

A scientist for a father had some uses.

The spray switched on, and Cloud decided to take them later. He quickly showered and scrubbed, desperate to wash off the stale sweat that had congealed over his body. As his hands brushed over his arms, he frowned at the obvious lack of muscle tone. It wasn't that he didn't train, but it just never seemed to make a difference. However hard he tried, his muscles just refused to cooperate, and it left him bitter, envious of people who had bulky shoulders and a toned body.

Like Zack had.

Cloud scowled.

SOLDIERS in general, not just Sephiroth, were revered in Shinra. They were the first steps to becoming Sephiroth, and people were in awe of their amazing abilities and reputations. They were seen as cold, indifferent, but most importantly, _strong_.

But Zack was different.

Not just different. A complete _antithesis_ to everything that they had been taught to value.

_He_ was loud, cheerful and idiotic. Cloud's dreams of finally having achieved something, finally being picked because he had been recognised had been shot down as soon as he'd seen the grin spread over the handsome face.

Cloud froze. _Handsome_?

He cut that train of thought off. Abruptly.

Feeling the spray grow cold over his aching shoulders, he switched it off and leant forwards, letting the cool tiles press against his throbbing forehead.

He stood there, unmoving.

…

"So…what do you say?"

"No," came the steadfast reply.

"Oh come on, it's not like it's breaking any rules, you just have to wave your hand and they'll be too busy seeking for your approval to disagree."

This time, there was no immediate reply. Zack grinned, adding a mark next to his name on his mental scoreboard.

"Why on earth do you want to move your three recruits anyway?"

Ooh. Sephiroth was confused. Another mark.

"I want them to be in calling distance." Zack stated, waving his hands enthusiastically. "If I could put them all in one room, I could torture them _day_ and _night_." His eyes shone and became slightly unfocused, and Sephiroth briefly wondered how bad Zack's training had been. "Just think of the possibilities…"

Sephiroth did think, but wisely, he didn't mention anything about the blonde boy that Zack seemed to be infatuated with. It looked like Zack just wanted to be in reaching distance of Strife, not anyone else. But looking at his friend's stubborn stance and begging eyes, he sighed, pinching his brow.

Zack smirked, looking at his scoreboard.

Three nil.

…

On the way back to dorms, Cloud only saw the shadows trailing behind him until it was too late. The punch came out of nowhere, and it clipped his jaw, sending him into the wall. His head banged onto metal, and he cringed as his headache throbbed. He heard distant laughter, and before he could turn around and lash out, another boy's foot kicked him side.

He gasped and glared poison, partly at his tormenters, and partly at himself for not being able to do anything about it.

…

The first thing Cloud did when he got back to his dorms was to take the pills his father had given him. Thanks his earlier encounter and the Mako, his head was throbbing even more fiercely – leaving his mind and temper in tatters.

Even the boys that shared his room had enough sense to leave him alone. (Though the fact that Cloud had nearly kicked down the door when discovering he had been locked out might have given them a clue.) Nursing an injured head, he sank into his bunk, mindful to give the wall a good few solid kicks before alleviating his frustration.

It was long before he fell asleep, thoroughly worn out.

…

Hacking into Shinra files was surprisingly easy; one would think that they'd learn from past mistakes. Zack grinned as he tapped into the database, tapping in Cloud's surname. He wouldn't get caught this time, because simply put, he wasn't trying to _destroy_ anything. Just liberating the odd bit of information.

He grinned as Cloud's stats rolled up again, and this time, he read the scores more carefully. Cloud had scored 'average' in the physical entrance exams, but apparently, his mental examinations had been poor. It seemed that Cloud's physical abilities had only deteriorated on entering Shinra, the boy only scoring the bare minimum needed on most tests.

Zack frowned. Even so, a 'poor' and 'average' wasn't enough for someone to enter the training program. Cloud didn't even have rich parents willing to pay people off; there wasn't any reason for him to be accepted in the first place.

Tapping a few more of Sephiroth's access codes (which would, if need be, be traced back to the General,) Zack found himself in a part of the system he'd never gone scrounging in before. Clicking curiously, he realised that he was in Hojo's files.

Aha. This could be useful in the future. Zack mentally catalogued the information away, making sure he remembered the pathway. Shinra had thrown a fit once they'd realised how weak security really was, mindful that they had plenty of secrets to hide. Zack had only been concentrating on uploading viruses at the time; he hadn't bothered with actually searching for information. Besides, Shinra had a habit of underestimating people. Zack was a loud-mouthed idiot who had a big sword, and so it had come as a big shock that it had been _him_ of all people to crack their password.

Entering Cloud's name once again, he was surprised to see pages of information on Strife, lists of misdemeanours and reasons why he was not suited to become a SOLDIER.

Reading downwards, Zack suddenly choked, eyes widening with disbelief at the information presented.

Cloud Strife hadn't scored poorly in his mental tests at all.

He had passed with full marks.

tbc

editted 21/09/07


	4. Chapter 4

Zack looked over his handiwork, beaming as he tested one of the traps he'd set. Hauling a barrel upright, he took extreme delight in kicking it back down again. The wind sifted through the grass as the barrel rolled down the hill, clanging as it hit the stones and gravel in its path. The field was usually used for competition or Chocobo racing, and so he couldn't blame the several SOLDIERS that were looking at him rather oddly. He'd completely _destroyed_ the area.

With permission of course.

To the casual eye, it was a basic assault course, but different routes held different strategic advantages; higher viewing points, shielded alcoves and other nifty places that could be taken advantage of. Of course, the whole area was riddled with mines and traps, but then again, no assault course was complete without them. Down the track, the tin barrel toppled to the side, sending a whole chain reaction down the course. Several mines exploded nearby, singeing the grass in its wake.

Penalties, Zack had decided, with a certain amount of…glee.

It had been his own idea, and it was something he'd wanted to try for ages. A mental test mixed into a physical course, something that had been too lucrative for the normal Shinra instructors. Plus, they hadn't wanted to deal with the casualties either – even the original low damage mines were powerful enough to cause burns, and 'Cure' materia was too precious to waste on trainees. But these were _his_ recruits, and Zack could do anything he wanted with them.

Besides, he'd switched to mock mines instead.

Grinning, he sent another barrel rolling down, watching it as it set off another array of traps and mines. Actually, it was against military procedure to even use _mock_ mines in training, as they did more damage to the surroundings than to the actual recruit.

But Zack wasn't actually going to _tell_ them that.

……………………………………

The three recruits stood in front of him, eyeing the course behind him with some trepidation. Zack carefully explained the rules to them, watching each boy carefully as he handed them maps to study.

"I don't expect any of you to complete it, but the one that gets the furthest will be the winner."

Mark looked at him oddly.

"What if we complete it?"

"You won't."

The steadfast reply was not a sign of good news, and they looked back down morosely to study their maps.

Zack continued on.

"The three routes you have here are all different, but they all lead to the same place. You lot can take any route you want, but you must choose quickly."

"I want the second route." Cloud suddenly demanded, folding his map in half.

"So Cloud gets first dibs. Only two routes left, boys."

Adam and Mark looked at each other, and Mark sighed, with a slightly defeated air about him.

"The first one." Adam stated.

"Third." said Mark.

"Good good," Zack beamed happily. "You have five hours."

Eager to escape the irritating grin, all three boys rushed to their respective routes.

……………………………………

Cloud grimaced as he stepped on _another_ mine. He could feel the _click_ as the ground underneath him sunk down, and he scowled as he left his foot there, not eager to set off one of Zack's traps again. On the other two routes to the right, Cloud could see several barrels rolling down uneven surfaces, set off by the boys behind him. He sighed.

According to the map, this was the best route. Mostly level ground with some higher ground for observation, objects that gave cover but not blockages…it was just common sense. Although the level ground allowed Cloud to see trip wires and potential traps easily, all of the earth had been overturned – so mines were practically impossible to spot.

It wasn't as if they hurt that much, just a sharp blow to whatever part of his body that he landed on. But the splattered mud on his clothes would only be too apparent, and Cloud had landed on his ass more times than he cared to count. (Zack's whooping laughter hadn't helped much either.) Looking around, there was a boulder sitting next to him almost _too_ conveniently. In fact, there were many boulders along the track laid out in a suspiciously neat line.

"You _idiot_." Cloud berated himself. He really should have noticed earlier.

Shifting so his foot was still on the mine, he used his other foot to hook around the boulder, grunting as he pulled it towards him. Still carefully sliding it along, he managed to use the boulder to substitute his weight without disturbing the mine.

Smiling grimly, he continued onwards.

……………………………………

Zack hummed as he saw Cloud start to make steady progress, avoiding the long line of boulders that lay along the path. Mark and Adam were straggling behind with the trip wires and barrels, and Zack felt distinctly proud of himself.

Cloud should be reaching the half way point anytime now.

That's where things got interesting.

……………………………………

It had taken him several tries to get up the slime covered assault wall, and Cloud was almost snarling by the time he reached the top. His upper body strength was not one of his best traits, and he supposed that Zack knew it. So the bastard had covered the fucking wall with _slime_. What kind of decent human being covered a twelve foot assault wall with slime?

So, after much snarling and much effort, Cloud had clawed his way to the top with his pride in tatters but stubbornness intact. He was only comforted in the fact that Adam and Mark had it much worse. Only, when he managed to look over the wall, he nearly slid back down again in shock.

Zack's laughter was now louder than ever, and Cloud could feel the cackles hitting the base of his skull repeatedly. He'd cleared the first half, but now, there were boulders everywhere. Boulders on the left, boulders on the right, and from his high vantage point on the wall, Cloud could see that the boulders formed a large, smiley face.

If he set off one trap, it would cause a chain reaction. He knew that now, without even looking carefully.

"You goddamn _motherfucker_."

Jumping off the wall, he landed on the ground, rolled, and ended up sprawled rather ungracefully on the floor. Laid on his back, his breathing was laboured, and the mud clung to his face and hair, clumping the blond strands together and mussed into his face. Cloud grimaced.

It was all very well in blaming Zack for being an annoying pain in the back side, but his physical condition was just entirely too poor. The wall had been the last straw, and Cloud could feel his muscles cramping up already.

Suddenly, a loud screech assaulted his ears.

"Time's up you little bastards." Zack sang, twirling a silver whistle. "Your five hours are up."

Cloud honestly didn't know if he should be happy.

Hauling himself upright, he clutched his side as he staggered around the wall he had just spent so long struggling against, resisting the urge to give it a few solid kicks. The stupid thing would probably hurt him more anyway.

……………………………………

Cloud looked entirely too worn out and too pale. That was the first thing that worried Zack as he watched the boy approach him slowly. Mark and Adam were worn out, yes, but their faces weren't pinched and drawn together, and they didn't look so resigned.

Actually, they looked more pissed off than anything. Perhaps the rubbish dumps hadn't been a good idea after all.

When Cloud finally arrived, Adam was already looking impatient, but Zack was interested to see slight concern in Mark's expression. The kid may make a good team captain one day. Saving that for later, Zack plastered his grin back onto his face again, all business once again.

"Well, I guess it's back to basics again for all of you." He said, yawning and rubbing his eyes. "Mark, be more assertive – people won't give you a chance unless you fight for it. Adam, scout more carefully for obvious traps. And Cloud, work on your strength."

Sighing, he looked at their sullen faces.

"You've all got your strengths, but as a team, you need a lot of work. Report back in front of first class barracks at two. Dismissed."

Mark and Adam disappeared as fast as they could, and Cloud looked at them enviously as he tried to do the same. His movements were clumsy and sluggish, and Cloud desperately wanted to escape before he totally snapped. His head was pounding (the damn mako _again_), his muscles were aching, and he was very close to admitting to himself that he was an utter failure.

"…You know, you didn't do badly out there."

"Oh please." Cloud's tone was biting and sarcastic. "Spare me the pity."

"I'm not joking." Zack said. "Your mental abilities are way above average – you figured out the mine trick way before anyone else did."

"It was just luck." Cloud scoffed. "I never do well on mental tests."

Zack raised an eyebrow, remembering the odd files in Hojo's network.

"Yeah, well you just scored full marks in mine."

"I just _failed _that one. And it was an _assault_ course. You know, one of those things that only test physical abilities…" He trailed off, eyes slowly widening in comprehension.

For once, Zack kept quiet as he carried on walking, smiling to himself.

……………………………………

AN: More Cloud abuse. I apologise for the very long wait – I was debating on whether to rewrite this chapter, or edit all the previous chapters as well. In the end, laziness won out, and so I'm just going to keep going, and wince at the writing quality later. XD;

And on a last note, I know this is pretty pathetic for a story that's only been on for three chapters or so, but expect highly irregular updates. But I swear this fic will not be discontinued like all my other multichapters, I will get it done.


	5. Chapter 5

"Why?" Cloud groused to himself, blowing a sweaty piece of blonde hair away from his face. "Why couldn't I have chosen a _gun_?"

He made his stance wider and with a grimace, he forced himself to lift the Buster sword up again. He held the stance, and within seconds, the tip started to wobble, and shake, and tipped sideways as Cloud's arms gave way with a violent drop.

"_Fuck_." He muttered.

So he tried again.

Zack, on the other hand, was watching the blonde with amusement. He had heard the comment quite clearly, and despite the fact that he was insulted that Cloud thought a gun was better than the Buster, Zack let it slide. He figured that the trainee would see things differently later on in life, in real combat.

"I want a gun." Zack heard the whine, and his eyebrow twitched slightly. Adam and Mark were also practicing their weapon drills, and he noticed that they didn't seem so enthusiastic either. Right.

Grabbing a pistol off the weapons cupboard, Zack wondered what he could do to make the lesson stick. It had to be drastic, because he figured that the boys wouldn't actually listen to him unless his point was made absolutely clear.

He threw the gun at Cloud. Automatically, Cloud dropped the sword and caught the pistol in midair, causing Zack to whistle slightly. Damn those quick reflexes.

He ignored the glare that was thrown his way, and smiling with a patronising air with intent to irritate, he said,

"Shoot me."

Cloud gaped.

"I thought you wanted a gun. You have one, now shoot me."

Mark and Adam gaped, and Cloud began to smile when he realised that Zack wasn't bluffing.

On the other hand, the hairs on the back of Zack's neck raised slightly, as Cloud checked the gun was loaded with well practiced ease. The blonde clicked the safety latch and aimed the gun at Zack with a perfectly straight arm and almost impeccable posture. It hadn't actually occurred to Zack that Cloud would know how to shoot a gun – he had picked Cloud because he had thought the boy would know nothing about artillery...and because he had been whining the loudest.

Hm. The light in Cloud's eyes was also suspiciously bright.

Still, it didn't actually make a difference because at the moment that Cloud chose to shoot, the sword that was strapped to Zack's back was drawn out, and held in front of him, stance wide and in defence. And almost too fast to see, the bullet was deflected harmlessly away towards the floor.

"Yeah," Zack shrugged, trying to look calm, as opposed to nearly having his head off by a bullet. "Guns are good - for example, really long range battles for sniping. But if your opponent is at SOLDIER level or above, the best thing to carry around is a weapon."

The three boys stared at him, and Cloud exhaled softly.

"I can't _believe_ you just let me shoot you."

Zack remembered the way that Cloud had casually pointed a gun at him, coolly executing the shot without even wincing at the rebound. Zack cringed; if Sephiroth heard about this, he was dead. But nevertheless, Zack plastered another grin onto his face and decided to do what he was best at. Blagging.

"You didn't really expect to do any damage did you? SOLDIER is much better quality than that poor excuse for a gun."

When Cloud just stood there, and looked at him with a sneering curl of his lips, Zack knew that he hadn't bought one bit of it. But it didn't stop Zack from messing up Cloud's hair, hand thoroughly ruffling up the blonde spikes. It earned him a nasty comment and a death glare, but it also distracted him and let Zack push him back to the Buster.

Mark and Adam were also spurred on to do their weapon drills, and peace then returned to the training hall.

Well, as much peace as one could get with weapons hitting each other, clanging on the floor...and the occasional glare that came from Cloud's side of the room.

…………………………

At the end of the gruelling four hour training session, Cloud felt like he was ready to drop from exhaustion. This time, both physically and mentally. So understandably, it was quite disheartening to see Zack's familiar grin again, and so soon after the whole 'make a trainee shoot me' exercise. That grin signalled trouble, that grin meant doom.

"Right boys," He said, "I want you three to pack up all your belongings and meet me at the entrance of B wing in an hour."

"B wing?" Mark was the first to realise what that meant. "But those are SOLDIER quarters."

Zack levelled a look at them.

"So?"

It was actually a surprise; this time all three boys, not just Cloud, looked absolutely terrified.

…………………………

It wasn't hard for Cloud to collect his meagre belongings from his bunk, and much easier than he thought it would be to explain it to his fellow roommates. A quick 'none of your damn business' had settled it quite nicely, and set a perfectly icy tone in the room as his roommates watched him pack.

"So, I guess Knightblade realised you weren't worth the trouble then?" Someone sneered.

Cloud barely even glanced at them, shoving the rest of his medicine and toiletries into the box he was using as a makeshift suitcase. God, he hoped he'd never have to go back to living in trainee dorms again. Too many goddamn people; too much jealousy and people trying to prove something to others that didn't give a shit.

But wasn't that why he was here? Trying to prove his strength to people who didn't care?

Well, that put a sombre mood on Cloud's thoughts as he trudged up the corridor, on the way to B wing.

…………………………

AN: Shorter than usual, but I've had exams for the past week or so, and I will continue to have exams for at least another two weeks or so. I am rather busy at the moment, so as soon as exams are done, I promise there'll be another update at the end of June. Be patient okay?


	6. Chapter 6

Cloud looked at Mark and Adam as he neared the entrance of B wing. It didn't take a genius to figure out what Zack had planned, but the idea of living near the SOLDIER sent cold shivers of trepidation down his back. True, he had never really liked the two boys across to him, but he still couldn't help but empathise with them a tiny bit. They had all been naïve, to think that Zack would actually _help_ them to become SOLDIER.

Perhaps that wasn't completely correct, Zack certainly helped them…he just never stopped torturing them.

And it grated, because for all of Zack's idiosyncrasies and idiotic behaviour, he was still SOLDIER. And that meant that Zack could snap them like twigs at any given time. Cloud frowned at the thought. He knew that Zack was strong (and probably cleverer than he let on) so were the foolish grins and wild ideas an act, or just ingrained behaviour?

The sound of heavy boots on metal flooring signalled the arrival of said SOLDIER, and an arm was thrown across Cloud's shoulders. Automatically, the blonde scowled, met by an answering grin from Zack.

An act or genuine stupidity?

A bit of both, Cloud decided.

Shrugging the arm of his shoulders, he ignored Zack's frown.

"You're so _cold_, Cloud."

But then the frown gave way to a big grin, and Cloud was almost disappointed when he realised he'd never get close to putting a dampener on Zack's spirits. As he moved away from him and addressed Mark and Adam, Cloud could see their stiff backs and the formality that usually occurred between SOLDIERs and lower ranking recruits. Sure, Zack was still _friendly_, but that was completely different from…from whatever he was with Cloud.

_Fond_.

The word suddenly sprang into mind. Though totally implausible, and so with a shudder, Cloud banished it away with a second thought.

…………………………

Zack led the three boys into the room, rather disappointed that Sephiroth hadn't agreed to the boys having separate rooms. The general had seen through the ploy immediately, and the more sensible part of Zack's brain had agreed wholeheartedly.

_Traitor._ Zack muttered.

The room was like his; white, minimalistic, with three metal bunks next to the wall. It wasn't anything special, but looking at the boys' delighted expressions, Zack figured it was better than what they had previously been living in. He didn't let the happiness bother him – in fact, he welcomed it. It would only be more fun to smash them back down again.

"Okay boys, you only get this evening to unpack and get settled in. Tomorrow is Sunday, so you get the day off, but I expect you lot to be in the weapon's room on Monday."

If possible, the smiles grew even wider and Zack almost felt sorry for them.

He had made the boys train for the whole day, and by now, Zack knew with experience that their muscles would be thoroughly worn out. The boys – being boys – wouldn't be finished with unpacking until late night, eager not to waste what precious free time they had on a Sunday.

…Though most boys spent their Sundays drinking in bars and looking for girls to score with, so Zack wasn't really sure what 'waste' consisted of.

…………………………

Cloud heaved a sigh of relief when Zack left the room, aware of two boys staring at him. Zack had stayed for a while, watching – no, annoying – Cloud to the point where he had ended up glaring and hissing a few choice words. That had then led to Zack's _fiddling_, and _messing_, and Cloud had almost thrown a box at him.

Almost.

But Zack's departure meant that he had to deal with the two boys currently staring at him, and Cloud found that he was staring right back. It was childish, yes, but it made them look away and that made the awkward silence slightly better. They weren't as bad as Peterson or others that he could name, but Cloud had never really _bothered_ to talk to them, and he was sure that the sentiment was returned.

The only thing that was keeping him sane was the fact that he had a whole days rest on Sunday, and he figured it would be a perfect day to visit Tifa and Barret. Perhaps he'd be able to sneak a few drinks in, and he relished the thought of just getting _smashed_.

Okay, so Zack's training was affecting him more than he thought.

Trudging off to the shower in the joining bathroom, he managed a content sigh as he looked at the _single_ cubicle with _curtains_, and how he _didn't_ have to walk down many corridors just for a simple shower. He quickly stripped and stood under the spray, and surprisingly, it didn't take him long to wash and clean himself. Adam and Mark had still been unpacking, and so Cloud had quickly stolen the shower while he still could.

It made his muscles relax, and he didn't feel so dead.

So when he dressed and opened the door, he hardly reacted when he came face to face with Adam, who seemed to be scowling more than usual. Cloud raised his eyebrow.

"Yes?"

Adam paused, as if searching for the right words. His face twisted, and regardless, he bulled on.

"How come he doesn't make you call him sir?"

Cloud looked up in confusion. He, did he mean Zack? Just how were you supposed to answer a question like that? Behind him, Cloud could see that Mark just stood up, remarking rather casually,

"I wonder why _sir_ doesn't object."

tbc

AN: Sorry about the writing quality. This chapter wasn't working for me, for some reason. And many thanks to those who wished me luck, and hopefully, the next chapter should be longer, and come out sooner. :)

**NatalieM:** To answer your question: yes, Cloud's father will be in this. Though I'm not quite sure when. XD


	7. Chapter 7

AN: I'm really sorry about the roughly half a year lack of updates. Writing just hasn't been a priority lately. Also, I'm going to give up on making promises about chapter updates. I never keep to them anyway. Basically, I am not satisfied with the quality of the writing, and some bits of the plot.** So until I've revised earlier chapters, there may not be many updates.** (People are very welcome to provide constructive criticism/beta services btw, it would speed up the process. :D)

…That said, I will now be a hypocrite and say that this chapter was long overdue.

…

Waking up was something of a chore for Cloud. He despised mornings with a passion, and the idea of opening his eyes to light and day made his head hurt. So, it was understandable that when Zack burst into the room slamming open the door, full of cheer and energy, Cloud threw something at him. Zack avoided the shoe easily, and pulled the covers off the blonde, watching with amusement as Cloud grimaced and opened his eyes, looking haggard.

"It's Sunday." He croaked.

"And so it is," Zack chirped. "Have a _great_ day off."

Mark sat up, rubbing his eyes. He watched Zack leave the room with a spring in his step, he looked at the glare that was positively radiating off Cloud's face, and he wondered if he should mention that this was_ precisely_ why Zack had wanted to move them closer.

"I…" Mark trailed off as the glare was turned onto him. "I think that this is a form of training."

Cloud stood up stiffly, grabbing a shirt and some trousers. They looked crinkled and slightly nasty, but that was fine because he thought they mirrored his mood perfectly. Grabbing a towel, he stalked into the bathroom, and Mark winced as he heard the door slam shut.

…

Stalking Cloud was not as hard as it should have been. Zack frowned and added it to the list of things he had to teach, and he quickly followed the blonde head that was bobbing in and out of the crowd of shoppers. The market was always the busiest in the mornings, but even so, Cloud stood out too much.

He followed him for the length of the street, watching Cloud pause at a flower stall, and then he moved on quickly, almost as if he was embarrassed. Damn. That most certainly meant that Cloud had a girl somewhere – or at the very least, had a girl that he liked. Oh well, it would just give Zack something to tease him about in their next training session. By now, Cloud had walked along the length of the entire market, and just when Zack had decided that Cloud-stalking had become rather pointless, Cloud turned left into a bar.

Dimly, Zack remembered the place. 'Seventh Heaven' was a name that was familiar to him, and his eyes widened as he became aware that this was the place where Sephiroth had nearly trashed after a drink too many. Stifling a snicker, he realised sombrely that there was no chance he'd ever be allowed back in again. Peering in through a window, he saw Cloud sit at the bar, conversing with a pretty bar maid and a well built man that had half an arm and a gun barrel attached to the end of it.

Well. At least now he knew why Cloud was so good at firearms.

…

"How's the SOLDIER training going?" Tifa asked, wiping the table surface. She looked at Cloud's wrinkled appearance; his rather irritated expression, and turned to dust a shelf of wine bottles to hide her smile.

"Fine." Cloud growled.

"Uh huh." She replied.

Barret also snorted, leaning against the wall with his arms folded brusquely.

"Just fine." Cloud repeated, knowing that if he started to rant, he wouldn't be able to stop. There was Zack, there was his peers, there was his lack of strength – his whole situation that made his head hurt. Though quite frankly, most of it was Zack. Sometimes, he just needed a rest, a break from the training and away from _Zack_.

Tifa paused in her cleaning, taking a good look at her friend. She exchanged glances with Barret, and he frowned as he nodded towards the dark bags under Cloud's eyes, the arms that were still painfully thin. Since Cloud had transferred into the SOLDIER program, he looked like he had _lost_ weight.

"You know Cloud, if you're still in Shinra because of your dad-"

"No." He interrupted, rather firmly. "I mean, it's part of it, but…it's not the main reason anymore."

Tifa sighed, and she looked around the bar for something to change the conversation. By chance, her eyes glanced past the window, and she saw a man's head peering into the room. He seemed to be staring in their general direction, and she bristled, wondering why he looked so familiar.

"Hey Cloud, do you know who that is?" She jerked a thumb in the window's direction, and Cloud looked up, knowing instinctively.

"Sorry about this," he ground out. "I'll go deal with it."

…

_Oh shit._

As soon as Zack saw the barmaid point to him, he backed away from the window, knowing that it wouldn't be pretty. He was almost away on the street again when the door opened and Cloud walked out, furious and shaking.

"Stop stalking me."

Zack grinned nervously, noticing for the first time that Cloud's eyes were rather pretty when cold and ice-like.

"My, what a coincidence to see you here!"

Cloud just looked at him, giving him a withering glare. It took Zack a few seconds to realise he was in _severe_ trouble.

"_What_ do you think you're doing?" He said, eyes flashing. "Isn't it enough that you annoy me the whole week? But no, you have to _stalk_ me as well."

With every step he took, Zack could see how angry Cloud was, but he was inching closer and closer, and he physically restrained himself in an attempt to avoid touching the pale face. He was aware of the barmaid and the other man coming out of the door, but he was focused on Cloud's eyes, trapped, wondering what looked so wrong about them.

Suddenly, he knew.

"Cloud, why do your eyes look like they have Mako in them?"

But he received no reply as Cloud's shaking increased, almost as if he were having a seizure, and his eyes closed as he collapsed into Zack's arms.

tbc


	8. Chapter 8

AN: Okay. So when I discontinued this however many years ago, I expected people to forget about it so I could stop feeling bad about leaving this the way I did. But I still get people reviewing this, and I'm just going to say thank you for your patience, continued understanding and I hope my writing style hasn't changed too much for the following chapters to be jarring. I'm not promising speedy updates because I'm incapable of keeping promises at all, but here's the next chapter? CC is welcomed as always.

...

The first thing Cloud saw when waking up was Zack's face, complementary with a big, obnoxious grin. His head hurt like a bitch and he blearily raised a hand, pressing down on his eyes, trying to lessen the glare. Looking up, he realised he was in a hospital of some sort; the bedsheets were cool, and a paper thin hospital gown clung loosely against his frame.

"What happened?" His voice was hoarse, and he felt like he'd been run over by a van, his joints ached and he just wanted to sleep.

"You got angry at me for following you, and then you fainted." Zack's voice was amused, but not cruel, and Cloud tried to grin, the corners of his mouth twitching up slightly.

"You can be very frustrating sometimes." He paused. "Sir."

Zack carried on, ignoring the slur.

"After that Tifa girl threw me out her bar for the _second_ time, I managed to steal you away and find you a decent enough doctor in the city. Which reminds me-" Zack fished a blue bottle out of his pockets, and Cloud's eyes widened, recognising his father's medicine. "We don't look kindly on drugs in SOLDIER."

Cloud narrowed his eyes, not appreciating the assumption.

"It's medicine. Mako radiation gives me headaches so my father prescribed me some pills to ward off the effects."

"Hm." Zack made a non committal noise, and threw the bottle back at him. Cloud caught it, nearly fumbling, but he still caught it all the same, opening up the bottle and tossing back two in rapid succession. Zack raised his eyebrows. Even if they weren't drugs, Cloud sure looked like he was addicted.

"I want you to stay in the hospital a while, just to get things checked up." He said, not unkindly. "I have a few errands to run, but I'll be back before visiting hours are over."

Cloud nodded, looking tired and wan, falling back asleep against the sheets and didn't notice as Zack neatly swiped the medicine bottle from his loose grasp.

"Have a look at this."

Sephiroth noticed the oddly serious tone to Zack's voice, and he looked up, to see Zack holding a medical report.

"I didn't think this would be your area of expertise." His tone was dry, and Zack sneered at him in response, but shoved the report under his nose anyway.

"I've asked one of the Shinra doctors to run these tests on these drugs that Cloud's been taking, and I just wanted to double check with you that what I'm seeing is really true."

Scanning the report, he briefly noted that again, the Strife kid was the centre of it all, before he realised what the report actually meant. The drugs contained a mixture of highly addictive drugs and mako supplements, most commonly used in SOLDIER assimilation. However, the cocktail of drugs and mako were skewed and tampered with; the combination in such quantities would have rendered a grown man catatonic, it was a miracle in itself that Strife was still _alive_.

"Strife has to be removed from the programme immediately. These drugs are highly illegal, and may have hindered his ability to receive mako transfers already."

"He's been taking them under orders from his father. I doubt he even knows what's in them."

Sephiroth pressed the issue.

"You can't improve upon mako, Zack. Once it's in his system, you can't add more, that's why he's so sick at the moment - his body is rejecting the additional mako."

Zack nodded, eyes suddenly widening.

"And that's why he can't ever seem to put on muscle, no matter how much he tries. The kid does twice the number of reps than everyone else, but it's like his body is fighting him, every step of the way." He paused, grin suddenly widening. "This is great! All we have to do is wean him off the drugs and he can start training properly."

"Are you even listening to me?" Sephiroth snapped, at the end of his patience. "Strife has already been exposed to mako - and flawed mako at that. Even if he manages to pass all the training requirements, he'll never be able to actually become a SOLDIER - he won't be able to receive the mako transplant."

There was a pause. And Zack just stood there and looked at him, and for the first time in a long time, Sephiroth felt his skin prickle, as those striking blue eyes fixed upon him. There were always limits when it came to Zack, and it was apparent he had just pushed past them.

"When you've decided to stop being a idiot and start being helpful, you can find me in the sickbay. Until then, go and fuck yourself."

He left. And Sephiroth could not forget those cold blue eyes boring into his skull, and could not stop the resentment that flooded through him.

Cloud Strife. His name suited him well.

"I want you to stop taking the pills."

...

Zack had come back in a mood, but true to his word, he had come back before visiting hours ended, with a stubborn set to his jaw that hadn't been there before.

Cloud just looked confused, eyes wide and pupils dilated, and he almost looked scared.

"Why?" He whispered. "My father says I must take them. He's a doctor."

Zack didn't like the fear in his eyes, and he didn't like the instinctive flinch that came when he reached over to press his hand comfortingly on his forehead.

"These drugs are bad for you. They've been interfering with your physical abilities - you need to stop taking them."

"My father loves me. He knows what's best for me." Again, another flinch, and Zack recognised the symptoms of a mantra, a phrase that has been repeated many many times, just to reinforce the lesson it gave. It was classic SOLDIER brainwashing technique 101. Replace the father with Shinra, and you had hundreds of SOLDIERS lined up, willing to take the bullets fired and to fire them in return.

"Why did you join Shinra?" He asked, switching to another tactic. Maybe he could get him to see the bigger picture.

"To make my father proud." Zack curled his lip with frustration. This was getting them nowhere. But he paused, as Cloud straightened, a pensive look on his face.

"Are these drugs really that bad for me?" He asked, voice frighteningly small. His face was hollow, and the tone of his voice suggested it was something he already knew, long before he even met Zack.

"Yes." Zack pressed, not letting go of the issue. There was no way he would tell the kid he had no chance of becoming SOLDIER now, not when they were this close. "You'll be able to regain all the muscle tone you've lost, and I'll be here while you go through the withdrawal symptoms."

Cloud nodded minutely, with what looked like a small tired smile floating on his lips.

It felt like a grimace.

Zack imagined he would be there when Cloud went though the worst of the withdrawal symptoms. He had imagined himself holding his hand, stroking Cloud's back comfortingly whilst the boy sat through his pain, shivering, providing an anchor for him, so that when the kid finally got better, he and Zack would have this special understanding, this special bond that would be unbreakable. As shallow as it was, he was kind of desperate, and as inappropriate as it was, he genuinely liked the kid.

Instead his dreams shattered as he was pushed out of the room, and the nurse slammed the door shut in his face.

"Let the professionals deal with it." She had snapped, and if it hadn't been against Zack's code to hit women, he would have reacted a lot more strongly to her condescending tone.

He was proud of himself.

...He had, however, accidentally punched a doctor in the face, earning him a court order off the hospital, which added yet another black mark onto his file. Sephiroth would have told him that he was being pathetic, but they weren't currently speaking at the moment, and so he contented himself with drinking, working out, and torturing Mark and Adam as much as he could. He was aware of Adam's gloating smile, apparently pleased that Cloud was out for the count for a few weeks, and he noted Mark's apparent disinterest.

He didn't know what to make of them, really. It was already obvious that he favoured Cloud the most out of the three, and Adam seemed bitter and angry whilst Mark decided to keep things professional in the way that an adolescent would. He simply ignored it.

But he supposed they had redeeming qualities about them. Mark was quiet and serious, quick on his feet and good under pressure and he'd recommend him to the Turks if he didn't despise them as an organisation. Adam was obnoxious to his peers but eager to please - which made him prime SOLDIER material. That, and he had the brawn and skill to back up his mouth. Which was rare these days.

He was currently teaching them about the uses of materia, and Adam didn't look like he was enjoying the theoretical lesson. They had been training for long enough so that they now had their own set routines; they practised with their own weapons first, then developed their skills in various firearms, expanded their knowledge on mines and grenades, and then ended the days with theory. It was often a mix of battle tactics and first aid, but he had only recently decided to move the lessons into materia, just because he couldn't bear to be teaching it anymore.

Mark frowned at a question, and he put up his hand, tentative and confused.

"Sir, what makes a person suited for materia use? I know everyone can use it, but why do the results vary so much with different test subjects?"

Zack paused, thinking about the answer.

"I guess...it depends on your level of skill, obviously, and how well the materia in question is suited to your weapon, but it also depends on the wielder." He pointed to a section on the board, and started writing more notes. "Concentration is key, but sometimes some candidates adjust more naturally to it."

Come to think of it, mostly SOLDIERS were given materia to use, even though technically, they didn't even need it. He guessed the materia in their bodies just amplified the effects, but you had to train especially hard to reach the highest levels of materia use.

Hm. Another thing to think about.

...

Tifa looked up at the hospital sign, stomach churning with worry as she walked closer to the institution. She despised Shinra, but as much as she did, she had to admit they took care of their own well. Ever since Cloud's mentor Zack Knightblade had taken him off to hospital for care, she hadn't seen or heard from Cloud in almost a week. But after visiting him in hospital after demanding entrance, she had not been reassured. The first time she saw him, he was practically comatose, veins dark and vivid against his pale skin. Tubes were feeding him essential liquids, but his eyes were shut, eyelids flickering as he slept fitfully.

Making her way up to Cloud's room, she felt slightly more reassured as she saw the familiar blonde head, sitting up and chatting to the nurse. He looked as healthy as she had ever seen him, and he was smiling brightly.

"Hey Cloud," She greeted him, and as he turned his smile upon her, she noticed his weight gain, and how much healthier he looked.

"Hey Tifa."

He looked like he had recovered fully, and she smiled in return, feeling a warmth in her chest. She loved him like a kid brother, and she was glad that he was so much better. She hated Shinra, but she owed SOLDIER something now, and she was going to find out why Cloud's father had done this to Cloud if it was the last thing she did.

tbc


End file.
